Poultry farmer Scott Wiens and family on their farm southeast of Edmonton

Photograph by: Supplied

EDMONTON - Like most girls, Scott Wiens’ youngest daughter is a big fan of baby chicks. She likes holding them, she likes playing with them, and she likes listening to the constant peeping that escapes their tiny beaks. When those chicks start to interfere with things like dinner or friends, though, they quickly become not-so-popular.

“There was one time when we were supposed to have supper with friends,” explains Wiens, who owns and operates two chicken farms, each with about 50,000 birds, just outside of Edmonton. “Just as supper began, the alarm at the barn phoned my cell. We were headed home within three minutes — no supper, no play time.

“‘I was pretty angry with the chickens that day,’ is a quote we, as a family, know all too well.”

Raising chickens is a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week job. Wiens’ days (and sometimes nights) are full. You can find him doing everything from checking the equipment to updating records to sleeping beside the generator during a summer storm.

According to Karen Kirkwood, executive director of Alberta Chicken Producers, Wiens is one of 235 chicken producers currently operating in Alberta. Of those, 97 per cent are family farms similar to those of the Wiens family.

Life on a chicken farm works in eight-week cycles. Each cycle starts with the delivery of eight- to 10-hour-old chicks from the hatchery. The chicks are placed in barns, where they settle in for the next six weeks (or about 40 days). Once they reach a certain weight (usually between 1.75 and 2.25 kilograms), they’re shipped to the processing plant. Finally, during the last two weeks of the cycle, the barns are given a thorough cleaning.

“And then we start the whole thing all over again. It’s kind of predictable, kind of boring. …”

Maintaining the proper environment for the chickens is one of the most important aspects of Wiens’ job. And with between 10,000 and 20,000 chickens running around inside each of his barns, it’s no small feat.

“Weather plays a huge role in how the birds grow and perform,” explains Wiens. “Chickens don’t sweat, so they rely on the temperature around them. If they get too hot, their internal body temperature gets out of control and they die.

“We have a ventilation system that pipes air in from outside to control the temperature inside the barn. In hot weather, though, it’s a challenge to keep it cool enough, especially when the birds get bigger and give off more body heat. If the barn gets too hot, a misting system sprays the air.”

Food and clean water are just as important. Although chickens’ specific dietary needs are well-documented, every farmer also works with a feed company that has a nutritionist on staff. “We try to feed them only what their bodies need. If I want to, I can indulge and grab a Coke. They can’t.”

They do get to roam around the barns, though, with no cages in sight. And they have unlimited access to the feed trays and water lines hanging from the ceiling.

“They’re kind of like us. When we’re hungry, we walk to the fridge and open the door. When they’re hungry, they just go to the feeders.”

If a chicken gets thirsty, it just goes to one of the hanging water lines and touches its beak to a nozzle. Water drips out — no training required. “Chickens are naturally curious. They’re also copycats – as soon as one bird does something, they all want to try it.”

Wiens records exactly how much food and water his chickens consume — the numbers are a good indicator of how healthy the flock is. “Chickens are kind of like humans. If they don’t feel good, they don’t eat or drink as much as usual.”

These days he also has to be vigilant about bio-security and avian diseases, so anything that goes into the barns is closely monitored.

“When I was a kid, we’d go to the mall and then come home and go straight into the barn. You can’t do that anymore. After school, my kids have to change their clothes and boots before going anywhere near the chickens.”

Like all Alberta chicken producers, Wiens follows an animal care program that ensures the chickens are treated well, and a food safety program.

“The food safety program makes sure that what consumers are getting on their plates is of the highest quality and more than safe. Both programs deal with things I’ve always done, but this validates it.”

The question of hormones is often raised when it comes to chickens, and it’s one Wiens is pretty tired of.

“As a precaution, the birds are given low-level antibiotics because of the environment they’re in — if one bird gets something, they all get it. Not hormones, though,” Wiens sighs.

“Hormones are illegal. If you really think about it, they’re not even feasible. You’d actually have to inject each and every bird. It’s kind of laughable. …”

Organic versus non-organic chickens is also a hot topic. Wiens’ birds don’t fall under the organic label, but he likes that he knows exactly what goes into them and where they’ve been.

“They’re free-range but controlled. They can’t be attacked by coyotes or come into contact with wild birds carrying diseases. With farmers market and organic birds, there’s no control over what they eat, or what they might be exposed to. And we do feed our chickens natural food. I’d argue that all the food they get is organic.”

Wiens has lived on a farm since he was seven years old, ever since his dad took over a friend’s chicken farm. And he’s planning to stay. He likes the lifestyle it gives him and his family.

“It’s different than it used to be, though. The equipment provides the animals with better care, but it also means there’s less opportunity for hands-on tasks. There’s really not a lot my wife and kids need to do. My girls love helping place the chicks in the barns, though, and playing with them.

“It’s still about the animals, though. With everything we do, every action we do or don’t take, the motive is always the animal’s well-being. We have these animals for such a short period of time that any mistakes we make are instantly magnified. We can’t afford not to care about them.”

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